Reviews (page 4 of 9)
Kinda fun but a little repetitive and I still don’t like Steve winwoods guitar playing
some redeemable qualities
This is not my flavor of jazz rock. Musicality is phenomenal, but eh. Dan does it better.
Bland prog rock that had me on the first song and then lost me. I can tell these dudes know how to play, but the songs were just boring. Probs hits different if I were a boomer and smoking weak 70s weed. Feeling a 2/5
This is pretty good you know. Apart from the odd track that goes a bit prog, this has a real cool vibe. I'm liking the instruments and his singing in general. And it's nice and short. 3.5 rounded down.
Charlie brown does mushrooms.
Musically, this is a brilliant album. Glad is nice Lil improvised piece that goes to some trippy places. Stranger in his Mind is best song by far & Empty Pages is alright. Some of the songs go a bit long but I never felt bored. I may have to actually read the lyrics to John Barleycorn to figure out why he must die but if I didn't care while listening, it must not be that intriguing. 3
Une intro jazz soul qui vire en Jethro Tull plus tard sur l'album, c'est pas vraiment ce à quoi je m'attendais avec le cover et le nom d'album (ça me semblait humoristique mais au final pas vraiment?) Intrigant. Dans le son, il y a certains trucs qui sonnent Clapton (Every Mother's Son), d'autres CCR. Vraiment divers en influences et en expérimentations, c'est le fun!
Bien aimé la tite flute et la toune d’intro instrumentale
V/rv
I liked this rock and roll 🎸 album 💿
I’ve been sick this week so this review is short and sharp. I thought it was okay.
Muy notable álbum de rock, en ocasiones progresivo, en otras muy blues-rock, y a veces jazz-fusión que con Steve Winwood a la cabeza, se volvió a reunir después de haberse separado y parece que ese tiempo de separación les sentó de maravilla. Unos temas que suenan muy a costa oeste de los EEUU y eso que la banda es británica. Aquí tenemos un poco de todo, desde guitarras rockeras a saxofones y órganos. El álbum es muy completo, sin altibajos, con momentos de virtuosismo en todos los cortes. Una joya de los primeros 70, de gran influencia en bandas tanto contemporáneas como posteriores. Me lo quedo.
English folky The Band
It's hard to give an album an in depth review and analysis when the album itself is boring as fuck. "Must listen" my ass.
I need to give this a second listen
Well, the first few tracks were interesting. Then it nosedived my interest as the songwriter stuff appeared. 2/5 Gustavo Cerati sampled John Barleycorn (Must Die) in the titletrack of his last studio album Fuerza Natural https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ACG_gupkDw
# 589 : John Barleycorn Must Die. John Barleycorn Must Die – And Honestly, I’m Fine With That Now, nobody likes traffic—commuter traffic, that is. As for the band Traffic? Well, this album doesn’t do much to win them any favors either. At just under 35 minutes, it’s mercifully short, but somehow still manages to feel like a long haul. Only six tracks, and yet they drag like a Sunday drive behind a tractor. It’s technically well-executed, sure. The musicianship is there. But it’s the kind of chill, meandering instrumental music that makes you forget it’s even playing. I didn’t finish the whole thing, and I don’t feel like I missed much. It’s fine. Just… fine. Like a lukewarm cup of tea you forgot you made. A fun little 1970s time capsule, maybe, but ultimately forgettable. Nothing stood out, and nothing made me want to hit replay. Verdict: ★★ for polish. File under “albums that evaporate on contact.”
Wasn’t feeling it. Didn’t have the same late 60s sound like Zeppelin and didn’t stick
The Good: An entire album dedicated about beer! The Bad: The artists believe beer must die… The Ugly: Traffic… I really wanted to like this album. Not because I like beer, which I do, but because I appreciate Mr Windwood’s efforts. Anyway, early ‘70s fusion jazz, so it seems, is not my thing… unless it is done by Jethro Tull… which Traffic isn’t. Having said that, I will still give the album 3* as it is worthy of a spin, just not on repeat spin…. 3*
Pas connu
Not bad but not really my thing
Rock with some inspiration from jazz. It reminds me a lot of Steely Dan and Jethro Tull. It was a fun listen but I'm not sure it stands out enough for me to want to return to it. Empty Pages was my favourite on first listen. Glad would come close if it was 2 mins shorter.
Okay, I am not certain whether I'm going to like this album now. Maybe 50 years ago. But now? Well, here it goes. An extended jazz-rock jam without lyrics: okay, not horrible but does it still resonate with all the intervening years? Not really, seems dated. And now some lyrics, but kind of banal musically and lyrically. Winwood can sing though. But do the words make themselves available to a new century. Seems dated. Empty Pages is a great song as is Stranger To Himself which is also musically interesting with a little guitar jam: okay there we go. John Barleycorn: are we listening to some Fairport now? (Which to say, I love me some Fairport. And I still miss Sandy Denny...RIP). I think this album should have been re-tracked: Side One (over 15 minutes) 1. John Barleycorn (with a female lead/co-lead, a folky lead song, let's lean into the folky element) 2. Stranger To Himself (a bit jazzy upbeat) 3. Freedom Rider (that great flute!) Side 2 (18 minutes or so?) 1. Glad (an upbeat instrumental in the middle) 2. Empty Pages (a nice groove) 3. Every Mother's Son (a great end to this album)
Jazzy Rick, not really my sound.
Ok
Pretty decent. Chill and quite summery. We may return to this one.
Interesting album.
New band for me. I've listened to this a couple of times, and have really enjoyed it, whilst also feeling like it has washed over me a tad. Want to come back to it again in the future. For now, my thoughts are that this is a great album. John Barleycorn is the stand-out track to me. 8/10
Decent album, nice instrumentals. Didn't really stick with me after.
Liked the music, didn’t like the singers voice. Though it seemed to fit in better on the folkier tune. I guess that’s the sort of music that this sort of reedy English voice fits best into!
Im gonna prooooooggggggggg im proggggiinnggggg hnggff Yeah its a 70s prog album, very soft and fun, nothing too special in the genre. Compare it to the heavy hitters like KC or PF this aint anything but on its own its enjoyable. First two songs are slappers tho 3.5/5
Fine
I can't give this a 1 because 1's are reserved for things that I actively want to never have wasted time on to begin with. So that means this can only ever be a 2. It's not BAD bad, but the noodling jazz flute organ sax psych fusion just isn't for me. Good musicians that bore me to tears. This is what Ron Burgundy listens to, but not in a fun way.
This was a folk album, sure. It's not even bad, but I don't think it belongs on this list. Things didn't get interesting until "John Barleycorn" which is, like, it's the end of the album. I dunno. On this list I sometimes think a boring album is the worst kind of album. I guess it doesn't deserve a 1, though.
Very polished album - great to listen to from start to end.
First two songs were solid and the title track was interesting but the rest didn’t really leave a great impression. Good musicianship but lyrics not really hitting.
Pretty much the most standard issue boomer dad rock imaginable. Jazzy blues jams with a ton of organ and piano in the lead paired with lightly fuzzy guitars, swanky horns and, urgh, flute. Loose playful feel and organic arrangements and some funky bass parts give it a warm relaxed vibe. Winwood's vocals have a hoarse timbre and an ambitious range but can be kind of grating - I guess that's why I like some of these (and other Traffic songs) best as covers.
7/10 Favorite: Empty Pages
Groupe inconnu. L'album commence bien avec un morceau instrumental très jazz/rock (+1), agrémenté de chorus variés et réussis, et dont l'ambiance évolue entre le début et la fin. Le second morceau ajoute du chant (dommage, j'aime vraiment les instrumentaux) mais l'harmonie reste audacieuse et les chorus intéressants (+1). Le 3eme morceau baisse un peu, mais est encore écoutable. La face 2 est plutôt décevante, en particulier 'John Barleycorn (Must Die)' (folk sans intérêt). Dommage ! Ceci dit je vais m'intéresser aux autres album de ce groupe. =>3/5
Um, I guess it was interesting to have an instrumental album for a change, but it wasn't one I'd listen to again, a bit too jazzy maybe.
I feel about Steve Winwood the way the Korean family felt about Frank Costanza: "This guy... This is not my kind of guy." I saw him and Clapton at the United Center once, just the two of them jamming in acoustic guitars, and frankly, it was boring. Listening to this album, I felt like Elaine telling Jerry about all the things she had asked with him, with the appropriate modifications: "Skip, skip, skip, skip, skip." Sorry, Steve, no soup for you. Next!
It was solid and steady English rock but nothing stood out
Quite easy listening, enjoyed this one.
Folkkista rokkia, mutta ei varmaan ihan folk rokkia kummiskaan. Ihan ok energia ja muuteskin ok. Parhaat: Ei erityisiä poimintoja
I might be biased because my previous album was from Yes, but this is a really boring album. Sure it has great musicians, technical proficiency, but it just seems like a handjob that starts off good but goes on way too long and doesn’t finish strong.
Day624 - everything steve winwood touched for two decades turned out amazing
Forgettable late 60s rock.
It's not really my kind of prog rock, still sort of impressive though
Kind of fun, not anything particularly interesting about it.
220324 17:23 4
Beautiful album.
Helt ok
Vilket mys!
Toppen
good album to do gangster shit to
Didn't love it, didn't hate it. Some interesting musical choices and direction. Occasionally folk, jazz, blues as it went. I'd say it was better than it was bad, but not something I found all that great. I did enjoy it for the most part, though. Overall: 3/5
I don’t know why John Barleycorn deserves to die, but I liked this album anyway. One of the tracks near the end of the album convinced me to bump my score up to a four.
John Barleycorn Must Die is a seamless blend of rock, jazz, and folk that showcases the band at their most adventurous and refined. From the soulful improvisations of “Glad” to the haunting reimagining of the English folk ballad “John Barleycorn,” every track is rich in texture and musicianship. Steve Winwood’s vocals and keyboards shine, while the band’s interplay creates an organic, timeless sound. Nearly every moment feels both spontaneous and meticulously crafted. A brilliant, genre-defying classic.
It was pretty enjoyable as passive listening. Some jazz flute and good guitar. Jam band vibes
good
a generic 70’s album with no stand outs
An important album as Traffic was influential in that 70’s rock scene and Stevie Winwood has gone on to produce popular tracks for decades. But i have trouble w/ little Stevie’s vocal quality these days. It’s a 3 for me now.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. There’s nothing quite like the musicality and lyricism of Traffic. Might be biased since I just saw Steve Winwood, but wow what a combo.
I like this record a lot. At times I have become obsessed with John Barleycorn must die. It’s an old English folk song and keeps popping up in different versions. The rest of the album is pretty jammy, but doesn’t overstay its welcome.
great upbeat album to listen to on a sunday morning.
Yeahhh not my thing. Feels very jam band and can’t really find anything unique.
Chill
#693. Pretty standard hippie folk rock, but with the occasional flute or saxophone solos thrown in.. 3/5: fine
This was such a random album to pick. its southern rock/ Jethro Tull. Very late- 60's. very generic.
Why bother writing good tunes when you have your pal freaking out on the flute. Some cool organ work and the opening track wasn’t bad, and then they started singing songs. The title track is quite good though, burns poem turned folk song. Irritating flute remains present however.
Not really memorable.
(94/100)
I imagine this is what Phish sounds like to people who don’t like Phish.
Glad John Barleycorn
Ok
Enjoyable listen.
Enjoyable listen.
Good
4 star. Like the sound and the album didn't drag out
Glad: really fun and energetic. The saxophone and piano sound amazing, Freedom Rider: Not as fun as the previous, flute sounds really good, vocals are weak. all the instruments feel detached from each other somehow. Weakest song on the record IMO Empty Pages: Great bass line, and the vocals are much better here. I like a good organ shredding as much as the next person, but I think the organist at a few points drags it out a bit long, so it lost its coolness. Other than that, the organ is really really cool. Stranger To Himself: Its fine, a bit much "guitar virtuoso"-ing for my taste John Barleycorn: weak vocals again, but the acoustic guitar sounds great, and the flute is great again. The duet makes the vocals worse in my opinion. A vocalist with a stronger voice would make this song alot better, and drop the duet Every Mother's Son: Vocals almost do it for me, the song is okay i guess i am torn between a 2 and a 3
Decent but hardly essential. Dug the tracks with saxophone as player A. Rocky, jazzy but fairly unmemorable with no real stand-out tracks.
Musically good. Thematically silly.
3.5 really
86% Best: Glad; Freedom Rider; Empty Pages Must-Hear? Sure
Good music
So much potential but they couldn't resist the Tolkien wood rock in the end
This is such a cool album, and I didn’t really get into Traffic until a few years ago when a band stationed in the back of a cremation services business across from my old apartment used to practice Traffic songs every week. It's one of my favorite memories before Hurricane Helene displaced us from that apartment. We'd sit on the back porch every Wednesday night listening to them practice and carry on.
I never heard of this band but their tracks were solid. It was a rock band so I could enjoy the genre more than I do others. I like more modern rock than this type but it was still really good. I hope to know more about the band Traffic since it seems like they have legendary status in the genre.
Like the title and cover. Like some British folk. Do not like jazz flute or its associated instruments. I tried. Only for Duke Silver.
Flute solo in freedom rider goes crazy
Hippie dippie but I like it
My hippie seventeen year old self loved this to pieces.
I guess it was a brave move in 1970 to go with the prog-folk-jazz sound in the face of ubiquitous blues rock, but that doesn't mean I want to listen to it.
This album is filled with longer play tracks that sound like a jazz improv group merged with a folk rock band. The jamming sounds good, especially the first three songs--Glad, Freedom Rider and Empty Pages--which have all been in FM radio rotation for decades or more recently satellite Ch. 26 Classic Vinyl. All together a solid album from Traffic.
It's weird that the band is considered "progressive rock." I don't think of them that way, although I can definitely hear a bit of Jethro Tull in this album. The album starts off with a pretty good instrumental "Glad". Most of the other songs are pretty good 70s rockers, although I did think the last track "Every Mother's Son" fell very flat. I have always liked Winwood's vocals, so this album gets a pretty good score for me. I should listen to more of their stuff. Top tracks: "Glad," "Empty Pages," title track, "John Barleycorn (Must Die)"
I don't know about this album. These guys are jamming away, and they're good at it, but I'm not sure where they're going with it half the time. The opener Glad was a great example - I can't identify the storyline in it. It starts off heavy or intense, but I felt like it was missing a starting build to that point. Then we go a couple rounds with that sound and segue into a weird, not bridge, but something else. Then it softens up and plateaus for almost 3 minutes, yet still doesn't have a clear ending - sort of abrupt close. The songs where Steve Winwood sings are better - it's like the vocals add context to the instruments, though at times it's as if Chris Wood tries too hard with the flute or sax. I don't mean the flute solo in Freedom Rider - that was good - but other times where he throws in a hard blast for seemingly no reason. Maybe I don't appreciate a good jam session but it felt meandering at times. When they stayed on point, it was solid. Every Mother's Son was excellent for the first half or so but then it went on a tangent for 2 minutes. Even if it was 5 minutes long, it would be amazing. The title track was long but that's thanks to a million verses - not meandering and pretty solid but maybe could've been a little shorter. Stranger to Himself might have been my favorite, and it's also the shortest - staying on point. It's above a 3 but I can't go with a 4.
I'd say the first side hit me right away while the second side was a grower - I wasn't as thrilled with it on first listen, but got into it more on subsequent listens (it's a short album and lends itself easily to repeat listens). In particular, the opening track is a great jam - I only knew Steve Winwood from his 80s hits and I had no idea he was such an outstanding musician. The jam at the end of Every Mother's Son also sounded great. Probably the only negative was that John Barleycorn got a little boring on a close listen, but made for good background vibes. Overall, I don't hear a lot of groundbreaking music here, but it was a good listen and I would revisit. Favorite tracks: Glad, Empty Pages, Every Mother's Son.
The album as a whole has its flaws, but the standout tracks shine brilliantly. Glad is an absolute perfect blend of jazz and rock. The real highlight for me, though, is the title track ..an amazing arrangement and recording.
I like most of the tracks on this record and have never listened to it end to end. Enjoyed it.
Seemed more Jazz then rock to me. Didn't do much for me. Song i liked the most was the traditional folk song.
I really didn't think I was going to like this album after the first song. I get it, it's a great jazz/rock thing, but I'm just not that into the jazz part. But then the songs with vocals came on, and I liked the album better. A LOT better. By the end, I went back and listened to Glad again, just to see if I was being too harsh (I wasn't, I still don't like it) but the rest of the album is very good.
Through this challenge I have discovered I really like Traffic and Steve Winwood. I am currently going down the rabbit whole of his entire back catelougue. Todays album is their fourth album John Barleycorn Must Die and this album really is good fun and an easy listen. I think the sound of this album is quite modern and new for 1970. There are so many sounds on this album from R&B to jazz to a bit of northern soul with heavy use of piano an organ. I like it and I like the instrumentals. Favourite track: Empty Paiges, stranger to himself and I just want you to know are great songs. Least favourite track: I think the title track John Barleycorn Must Die is probably the weakest on the album. Album artwork: Cool cover.
Really enjoyed the freeform style and instrumental interludes on these songs. I imagine when these guys played live back in the day they could jam out for 10-15 minutes on extended versions of the songs. Empty Pages and the title track were my favorite songs, but I feel like there was some other stuff I really like throughout the album too. Just got lost in the sauce and never checked where I was in the album. This is a mid-to-high 4 for me. I had not heard of these guys before, so I definitely want to come back to this one.
Digging this one out of the gate. Very free form and jammy vibes. Freedom Rider is equally open with a healthy dose of yazz flute through the mid-section. Empty Pages plays almost like a Genesis song in some senses. I think its the vocals paired with the organ. Stranger To Himself is a bluesy ripper -- nothing exceptional, just classic and done right. Then there is the title track (a weak point in my mind)... a weird divergence into folk, before Every Mother's Son pulls the organs back out to pipe some life into this thing. I'd say this is all around just fine. As I said earlier, nothing exceptional, but also very well done. Opener was the best track IMO, but the rest (outside of the title track) were extremely solid. For me this falls to a high 3.
Another great entry by Traffic. I left a note in my last Traffic review to listen to them again. Love the keys and the vocals.
Traffic jams quite hard. They are a strange progressive folk almost that I don't really know how to describe. The drawn out jams on even a studio album were so awesome. Poor John Barleycorn I wish he didn't have to die
Like this one a bit more than the last one! Had some solid jams on here.
3/5
Listenable, not all that offensive.
I didnt sit still for the whole time this was playing! Excellent feelgood album!
Not terrible, not great. Seemed like a middle of the road jam band.
Reminded me of Jethro Tull in terms of style. This was very good and it didn’t expect it to be given my thoughts on Steve Winwood’s solo material. Favorites were Freedom Rider, Empty Pages, and John Barleycorn.
Fun to listen to while working but not something I would go out of my way to listen to again. The music felt outdoors and peaceful.
Imagine if Jamiroquai was terrible. This is that album. Basic Betty lyrics, terrible mixing, obnoxious organ, lack of bass, and a overly busy guitar. Struggled to find a good song or something original. Not my bag.
YABA (Yet Another British Album) Yaaaay more 70s english rock. This is ok, nothing outstanding.
In 1970 a lot of the major record labels released sampler records. These were made up of single tracks of the labels artists from their latest albums. A God send for lads like me on a limited budget as these albums were cut price too. One of the most iconic (still?) such sampler albums was ‘Bumpers’ released by Island Records. One of my favourite tracks off this sampler was Every Mother’s Son which is also a track on this album. This spurred me on to listen to the full album the title of which also intrigued me. At that time I was disappointed as there was too much jazz influences on it for my liking and nothing at all measured up to sampler track. Cannot say that I have really sought out this album since then so another chance to listen in full was welcome. Must say that my younger self was right. Even though my appreciation of jazz has increased over the years there is not a lot on here to get my juices flowing. Every Mother’s Son remains the standout track and that song alone is worth my star rating. Traffic themselves always remained on my radar and their album a year or so later Low Spark of the High Heeled Boys is a cracker and should be on this list. 3/5 10/8/25
An okay 70's rock album with hints of prog/folk. The title track is the best song on the album for sure.
Nice short and sweet jams here from winwood and boyz.
10/10 Traffic has got to be one of the most talent rock bands I’ve ever heard, going through their discography
Pretty nice prog rock with jazzy elements.
I like Steve Winwood as a musician, but I can’t say I’m a huge fan of his vocals. For the sake of comparison, I’d say this sounds a lot like Jethro Tull if Ian Anderson was out of breath before taking the mic.
Excellent first tune; the others are all right.
Pretty good. 3.5* rounding up.
Get a lot of Yes vibes from this band, especially with that instrumental opener, which was unfortunately where the album peaked for me. In terms of early '70s prog rock, this album fell on the less interesting side of the genre. You're getting the typical occasional jazz fusions, and some acoustic slow-burn ballads, with the titular track, but the execution leaves a lot to be desired - especially when the album reaches its final moments.
Divertido, dançante, jazz pa caralho. Piano desses para o começo dos 70 é algo bem de volta para o futuro
I grew up listening to this album. My father loved traffic.
Steve Winwood — what a guy, huh? I guess. When this album popped up, one of my fellow group members made a point to tell the rest of us that this would be our first encounter with Winwood. Technically speaking, it isn't: he'd shown up previously on tracks on Jimi Hendrix's ELECTRIC LADYLAND and John Martyn's ONE WORLD. But given the fact that I didn't know he was on either of those until I looked up his name to try and figure out why he was so important... Yeaaaah, for all intents and purposes, this is our first Winwood album. Now, Winwood's one of those fun cases I have sometimes where they're a name I **recognize**, but for the damn life of me I can't figure out why I do. I know, deep down, that there has to be **some** reason I saw their name and went, "Oh!" — y'know, clearly they're important enough that this group member would actively point it out. But who the hell are they, actually, even? I suppose he's some kind of gifted instrumentalist, given how much he played on this thing. Hell, there's some songs here where besides maybe the drum, he's a one-man band — y'know, like he's Prince or Stevie Wonder. Honestly, it makes me wonder why this group is even credited as a band, then, because I don't think I'd ever heard of this sort of thing happening before... But there's probably something I'm missing, so I'unno. But, OK, so Winwood plays a lot of instruments, and also apparently he sings good. Fine. But what does that mean in terms of the music on this thing? Uhh, not that great, if I'm being honest. Oh, sure, sure, I wouldn't say it's **bad**. It's nice-enough-sounding jazz fusion-y blues folk rock whatever, and I really dig the organ playing on here (though getting me to like an organ isn't exactly much of a feat). The flute's neat, too. I can absolutely hear why someone would like this. Though, at the same time, the reason I came to for why is also the same reason why I'm not too big on this thing myself — and that's because this album is Steely Dan. Yeah. I mean, jumping into this album, I was actively searching for what this thing brings to the table... And it's Steely Dan. That's honestly the confusion I came to. This is that light kind of jazz and rock where I'm supposed to be just **really** impressed by the technical proficiency on display — probably even more so here because of how much Winwood did all by himself. And, sure, that's cool and all, if you're the kinda person who looks for that thing. But me, though, I'm absolutely the last person you wanna ask about technical proficiency. I mean, I'll recognize that the "Steely Dan" thing isn't a perfect comparison: this thing is **absolutely** not as yacht-y as Steely Dan could be. It might actually be more Jethro Tull than Steely Dan... But all the same, I listen to this album, and it has a lot of nice parts (especially the organ, which shines like hell on the closer), but I can't help but overall feel this creeping malaise of "Like, what, that's it?" I suppose if you want some nice 70's organ vibes, this wouldn't be a bad album to stop off with. As a piece of wallpaper, I can see it working. But actually listening in on it, and taking it as I presume it was supposed to be... Eh, it's fine. If you want it, go ahead and have it — be my guest. As for myself... I guess I'm just indifferent to whether or not I think John Barleycorne should die — and to whether or not Steve Winwood as a name I should jump up at when I recognize.
While not conventional in terms of being Prog, it's still damn good regardless. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 5. Sometimes, you just have “it”, what can I say? At face value, someone else might hear this and recognize it as a wholly competent 70s album that hits on all the right rock tropes at a technical level, but they just can’t vibe with it for one reason or another, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for not being that impressed by this. However, Steve Winwood & friends here absolutely nail it for my tastes. Admittedly, I didn’t really take many notes of substance for this one; just a lot of timestamps where I’m impressed by certain instruments (piano, flute, drums, guitar, etc) & a LOT of praise for Steve Winwood’s vocals. The man has some pipes. If I could sing like that, you bet I’d be singing anything & everything, including the seemingly “cheesier” stuff people rag on him about. I refuse to accept any slander of “Valerie” though. Lyrically, this album’s pretty straightforward, save for the mildly baffling “Freedom Rider” – the strength of the storytelling entirely comes in the delivery, and it’s most apparent on “John Barleycorn (Must Die)”. The slower, more deliberate approach to match the tone of the original track is really effective, while still giving Steve room to add some power. Instrumentally, this album shines; not a single dull moment here, and with headphones in, this thing just has a ball of momentum that refuses to stop once it gets going. It’s especially strong on the eclectic closer that is “Every Mother’s Son”. When every instrument hits a sort of fever pitch around the chorus & Steve’s vocals are gliding on them, it’s one of those moments that just sort of elevates an album to a higher point for me. So, yeah, no complaints at all, only praise here. For 1970, this feels a little ahead of schedule, and I’m just really impressed by it. A very strong 35 minutes that, if nothing else, is really enjoyable to listen to from start to finish. I just caught the momentum of this thing, and I think it’s easily worth a 5, if a bit higher. Not quite a 10, but a highly recommended album regardless. P.S.: There’s two things I just need to point out; the flute solo on “Freedom Rider” is rad as hell, & someone NEEDS to sample the percussion of “Empty Pages” around the 3 minute mark.
Not the biggest Steve Winwood guy, but this was pretty good. Sways between jazzy and folksy, but never feels out of place either way. I also tend to enjoy keyboard and sax noodling more than most.
Beautiful tiny folk-rock album.
Traffic is solid early jazz-rock. This is not the best Traffic album in my opinion, but it’s a nice chill listen.
Super cool! Really enjoy this sound, it was totally off my radar.
A very chill, concise album with a lovely live recording sound. Really enjoyed it. Just realized they're from my home town too!
Unknown band to me. Ordinary music for me also. An OK album.
Not my favorite Traffic album, but I love this band. They put a soul groove into hippie excess in just the right amounts, accentuating the positive of both. Plus, Steve Windwood is a double threat of killer vocalist and organist. And I'm into the overuse of the flute.
TIL that this album originated as a contractual obligation to the record label after Traffic had temporarily broken up. It was intended to be Steve Winwood’s first solo album until he started calling in his former bandmates to help flesh out the studio session and come up with more tracks. Seen through that lens, it sounds remarkably successful, even if I might quibble that this isn’t the *best* Traffic LP. “Empty Pages” hints at Winwood’s 80s pop trajectory but wins with the heavy organ on the chorus. The title track is a fine entry in the British folk canon, with Winwood and drummer Jim Capaldi harmonizing in the spirit of Fairport Convention. “Every Mother’s Son” brings a heady 70s vibe. Proof that rock and roll needs more flute. 3.5 stars if I could.
Did not know what to expect from this. Jazz rock done well (for the songs without vocals, at least) with becoming Steely Dan.
It's a nice listen. Empty Pages is a great track. Not sure how profound or groundbreaking it is, though. Feels like the transition between "Winwood as a band member" and "Winwood as Winwood". I like Winwood, but more as an ingredient in a band than as the main course. So with that, I like this this one.
I am not sure if this is a must listen album. It might be the product of its time that I just don't understand. I just couldn't see it's impact or how influential it was. It sounds decent though.
Interesting to see where singer Steve Winwood would be creatively just a decade later with "Valerie", "Back In The High Life Again", and "Higher Love". I guess if you can get around the big organ sounds, you can pick up on those pop sensibilities. John Barleycorn Must Die is a perfectly fine album, but not sure it's quite as critical as other albums that were snubbed from this list. No real new concepts or timeless classics, and I don't mean this as a slight at this record, there was just other bands doing this exact same thing before them, and in some cases better. I think it's a straight up the middle 3/5
Is that a six-minute “trad” song about maiming and murdering a man but really it’s a metaphor for harvesting barely? Fuckin’ Brits, man.
Another Birmingham band, bruh!
Oh boy... This was not for me. Maybe it's musically complex? Maybe?? But it's some hippie rock bullshit for all I care.
I can hear it's influence on future artists, and I appreciate all the playing and performances, but it's really not doing much for me. I think Stranger To Himself is the song I liked the most. 2 Stars.
This was okay. Nothing obnoxious but nothing to write home about. 3 stars.
A pretty good album, I liked Freedom Rider the most.
Never heard of this before. Honestly that was pretty good. Better than I expected.
Good, bluesy rock. But a little repetitive.
I liked the other Traffic album more. I didn't dislike this one but also didn't connect to any of it. Had no idea Steve Winwood was in Traffic. Rating: 2.4
Zaczynam myśleć, że z płytami rockowymi jest jak z filmami wojennymi - o ile nie są wybitne to wszystkie są takie same. Przesłuchałam całą i nie zapamiętałam wiele. Wokal bardzo generyczny, a kompozycje też nie mają żadnej pieczątki oryginalności. 5/10.
Soundtrack de taberna del medievo pero con instrumentos de ahora, buena vibe
Al principio pensé que era el típico álbum que es full instrumental pero luego repuntó. La guitarrita de fondo y la instrumental en general están muy guapas. Y la voz del cantante tiene un vibe a canción de guardianes de la galaxia. John barleycon mi fav o every mother's son
La verdad es que estuvo muy bien. Para poner en un asado.
Nice end to the week
Couple of great songs on here.
I did not know this was Steve Winwood's old band. I will be honest, I also did not know Steve Winwood was white. I always chalked him up to being a Stevie Wonder-esque figure. Anyways, these blokes love the flute; and so do I. Great use of piano, too. Awesome listen. I think this is one of those albums you listen to start to finish, and don't really take "picks" from here. This seems like a great album to listen to on vinyl. I'm nearing a 5 on this, but I don't think this has the value I'd expect from a 5. Still, incredible listen, will definitely be coming back to this in the future.
Oh thank goodness, from the cover I was expecting some drearily boring as sin country or folk music so dipping my toes in and hearing how funky this was right off the bat really hit like crack. I have similar feelings on this to Green Onions, a pretty short and sweet little album that lets the instrumental talent speak for itself (though this time we do actually have some vocals and they’re pretty great!). Never judge a book by its cover I suppose
Freedom Rider: rousing vocals, flute putting in some work. This song is my favourite on the album A very front-loaded album for me. The second half of the album didn’t go as hard as the first, but recovered on Every Mother’s Son with the double keyboard solos and guitar sections. I enjoyed the instrumentals on this quite a bit. The first 2 songs and the last song were standouts. I quite liked the vocals too. Highlights: Glad, Freedom Rider, Every Mother’s Son
My view may be slightly skewed as I was writing excel macros while I listened to this and it’s really hard to be less interesting than that, but I enjoyed it.
Fun and Jazzy 7/10
I'm going to be honest this was really boring. This is on here because Steve Winwood is on here. It's well-performed and very chill, coming in at a merciful 34 minutes. Despite its length, this dragged for me and did not improve on a repeat listen. Highlights: Glad
Dit is wel een leuk album. Waar ik over het volgende album klaagde dat het wel heel erg afgemeten was allemaal is dit een wat creatiever album. Lekker folky en jazzy. Een gezellig fluitje erbij. Solotje hier en daar. Niet te zwaar allemaal, maar wel creatief dus. Ik vind dit wel tof. 4 sterren. Heb er verder niet veel bij te melden merk ik.
Definitely "cool white person in 1970" funky.
En vrai, c'est plus un 3 qu'un 4, mais j'suis tanné de donné des 3 comme un gars qui est dépourvu d'opinion. - Rebonjour! Je te souhaite une bonne prise de la Bastille bien en retard (c'est drôle que toutes les fêtes nationales se passe dans le même 30 jours), et j'espère que ton entrevue c'est bien passé! Je me suis rendu compte que j'avais oublié deux suggestions d'album ultra-chouette, je vais juste te les glisser ici: Wide Awake! - Parquet Court (Punk... fusion?) Choses Sauvages - Choses Sauvages (Du bon pop-rock lofi d'ici) J'me demandais l'autre fois, c'est quoi les albums que tu as sélectionné pour la user list? Aussi, comment es-tu tombé sur ce site? J'aurais ptet d'autres questions demain, à plus!
Pretty much what you’d expect from a late ‘60s British folk rock proto-prog band. I liked the flute though.
Sometimes more is not more. This one is a fuckton better when they cool it with the horns and the synths.
3.4 3x catch up mainly at ATL
My first date with my wife was a Steve Winwood show. Love some of Steve's vocals, but can't stand the overruse of jazz flute.
good sounds
That band was amazing. Such incredible talent
Masse kult, men gir meg lite. Fin bakgrunnsmusikk, og en sterk åpning. Beste låt: Glad.
Kul gammal rock, fløyte, orgel og masse greier. Mye sjel i musikken. Favoritt låt: Freedom Riders
Green light go. I was not at all familiar with Steve Winwood or Traffic. The first song started out like it was library music, you know the stuff played in 70’s tv shows. I like that stuff. The you tube album played it twice and the second time around I was hooked. I found myself staring into the corner of my room whisked away to a different time and space. The whole album seems masterfully crafted by talented musicians. I’d gladly listen to it again and go for another ride. In fact I did… I listened to it 3 times in its entirety and I replayed the song Glad even more!
Why so many people must die? Ok he is the corn king. Fine. I would be really grateful if it’s true. But I probably just don’t like the idea of self sacrifice especially when there is no scientific reason. Music wise ok. A short album. Actually very good vocal performance but not produced well. It sounds very raw.
I dug this a lot more than I thought I would. They hit the folk/almost bluegrass style well and I only knew Steven Winwood from Higher Love so this was a surprise for me. Tight little album, not sure if/when I’d pick it over something else but it was a good ride while it lasted.
i was a bit wary going into this album, but by the end i really was digging it. I really enjoyed the Brit-Folk sound, it didn't get too twangy like stereotypical country music, but was able to just roll with a great sound the whole time.
I don’t have anything specifically bad to say about this album other than most of the songs were long and a bit boring. I just didn’t really get it, but not terrible.
Really enjoyed this one, so much so that I listened to it twice. It’s in the Goldilocks timing zone, the opening instrumental track is a jam, and Empty Pages is a great radio single. The mixture of folk, jazz, blues, and rock was very well done and never felt like they were trying too hard. I was skeptical at first, but this album is very much a surprise five stars. Will be listening to it again.
Solid. I liked the first half more than the second.
Bra grejer.
Not horrible but it did nothing for me.
This one is right in my wheelhouse.
This album is fine. Neither amazing or terrible. I liked Empty Pages. That's about it. Steve Winwood's voice gets a bit grating after a bit.
1. glad - 1.5 2. rider - 1.5 3. pagez - 1 4. ztranger - 1.5 5. john - 1 6. zon - 1.5
Aight
Saved by title track but otherwise boring
I like this album, the almost title track stands out for me and I wish there was more on the record in that acoustic folk style. Overall a solid listen though and well worth checking out.
I will now search a Steve Winwood documentary as he has had an absolutely fascinating career. Weaving in and out of music genres and playing with some fine bands. This was interesting, quirky, listenable. I need more of this sort of music in my life.
I listened to this album with my 16 year old son. First song starts and his review is “more Austin Powers garbage” But when the second and third songs played, we were hooked! He gave it a 4, I gave it a 3.5! Loved freedom rider and John barleycorn. Rounding up to 4
This was fine as some background music today, but I'm just so fatigued by this style of music from the list - it all starts sounding the same.
Jazz-Rock mostly giving of a dull vibe while the vocals are annoyingly stretched.
9/10 Jazzy prog rock. Very easy listening. All songs are great - no filler. Nice length. Drums are great and the flute is cool.
This was really a 5+ probably my favorite new-to-me album on this journey so far.
Very little memory of this but it wasn’t ‘bad’
Bien ! Est-ce que je vais réécouté ? Je ne pense pas, mais cela ne change rien à la qualité de l'album.
Good 70s jazzy prog. Solid album
It was slow to start, but became enjoyable.
Not bad, typical classic rock stuff
Mediocre folk album. Sometimes a bit Genesis-like. No highlights and an off-key singer.
Not my preferred music but certainly enjoyable. My only observation is that it seemed the lead singer was being drowned out by the piano at times
I'm afraid poor old John Barleycorn can be left to his fate for me. This is just quite boring. It's perfectly nice, quite MOR rock with a decent line in noodly guitars and a vocalist (are we talking about Steve Winwood here? Pass, and the fact I'm unprepared to Google it tells you everything about my investment in Traffic).
Now this is what I call music!
Seiskarit jatkuu. Kiinnostavia sovituksia, mutta kolmoseen jää.
chill - ok. not a fave
This album starts off phenominally. Wow, "Glad" and "Freedom Rider" are such bangers. Sadly, the album never reaches those heights again, the two songs after being super weak and forgettable and the last two songs being pretty good but not as good as the first two
Je ne connaissais pas du tout ce band avant aujourd'hui. Textures sonores vraiment cool et relativement differentes de ce qui se faisait à l'époque. (Pas sur toutes les tracks finalement, celles plus ancrées dans le folk/trad et celles avec des vocals sont p-e plus de leur époque) J'adore le solo de sax avec une envelope filter/effet wah dessus panné a gauche sur "Glad". Extrait de la page wiki : "Whereas previous Traffic albums had been dominated by more concise song structures, John Barleycorn saw the group develop into a looser, jam-oriented progressive rock and jazz fusion style, setting the tone for their subsequent output in the 1970s."
A lot to like here. Some very cool harmonic twists and turns. Blows Jethro Tull out of the water as far as flute-based 70’s rock is concerned.
Some interesting stuff
uistinu jedan od albuma svih vremena
I'm learning I like Steve Winwood
Interesting combination of jazz/folk/rock. Winwood has a great voice and the album is great background music but overall isn't for me.
A little too psych for me.
It's pretty unremarkable tbh
Tracks I liked: freedom rider, john barleycorn. Would I revisit this: maybe.
Just kinda boring
Didn't mind the more chilled songs on this, but didn't find it exciting or inspiring. The songs with a faster more upbeat style were a bit chaotic, someone should have told this guy his strength was in calmer songs. Couple of ok tunes, particularly liked Paper Sun, it made me thick of The Beatles.
Jazz / Folk Rock is a very interesting mix I never knew I needed in my life. It's a high 3, but once the novelty wore off I felt the album got quite repetitive. I particularly enjoyed 'empty pages' and 'every mothers son', and I think this would be great music setting the background ambience for game nights and similar events.
Pretty cool :O
Traffic are in borrowed clothes, but they’re lovingly derivative and the passion and core of tight playing in baggy structure took me through this record a few times today, as slight as it seems. The title song itself I’m ambivalent to; one day I’ll get to working out the mystery of British folk’s burst of popularity and subsequent fade-out. Winwood’s voice is a force of some sort.
Seems a bit half-baled, typical grunty blues/rock and lots of noodling. Not my thing
not quite my style, little too jazzy
7/10… psychadelic rock / blues rock
TS album was so smooth that before i knew it there was a finger up my ass... DIDDY... but it lowk felt so good. before i knew it that 1 finger turned into 2... BOIII suss, then 3, then 4, and then a whole fist slipped up by ass. dyk that a human fist can fit up to 12 inches into a rectum... how did i know that?? well ehrmm... lets just skip that part!!!! back to TS album... TS was a 3/5, like the amount of digits up my ass.... lol! (5) what if fortnite added an update where every single win your character gets a finger up their ass which would lowk be diddenbludden but anyways, once you get the victory your prostate gets stimulated and your character cums everywhere.
It was ok
sus sus amog us
Really boring sounding jam band stuff, and as far as prog goes it sounds pretty lame. Would much rather listen to Jethro Tull, Wishbone Ash or Gentle Giant. Or a jam band like Allman brothers band or Greatful Dead
Going into this one I had no idea what to expect, but right from the opening track I was pleasantly surprised. Infusing jazz and funk with broad instrumentation gives this album a unique listening experience. However, the last track did drag on a little too much for my liking. I'm convinced that John Barleycorn must die. Notable Tracks: Freedom Rider, Stranger To Himself
Lowkey cool and fun album i likey
Enjoyable enough but nothing too exciting going on.
didn’t like it that much
Enjoyed very much.
I love prog rock <3
Meh.
Another album that’s alright, but I could’ve definitely lived and died without having heard it.
Enjoy the raspy vocals and the 70s production style. Easy enough listen. More of an EP to me though personally, considering the 6-minute instrumental intro and the 1:30 track in the middle, so only 6 full tracks really which is disappointing. Favourite tracks are probably Freedom Rider and Sittin Here Thinkin of my Love, which have the best songwriting and lyrics to me. Overall, a pleasant sound with a great frontman yet too inconsistent and too short for me to fully appreciate.
A pretty good prog album. No songs that left me speechless, but pleasant to listen to. 3/5
A short album with a bit of everything on it. I like it a lot, and Steve Winwood's vocals are superb.
4.5/5
tänä vuotena ilmeisesti pumpattiin kaikennäköistä, kaikenmuotoista musiikkia kaikille näköjään.. mitä tapahtui.. olen kuullut NOLLA albumia vuodelta 2025 mutta puolisatakuntaa vuodelta 1970 huoh.. ajat muuttunut paljon.. itseasiassa tarkalleen 55 vuotta. se on pitkä aika.. ja vitut on!!!!!! kohta 2080 poksattaa kulman takaa ei se saatana kaukana ole. mahdotonta tietää mitä tuleva tuo. ei tiedä oikeaasti mitään ei voi tietää tuleeko 2080.. voi tulla vaikka 2070 sitä ennen.. kukaan ei tiedä.. Steve Windwood is my GOD!!!!!! jonh braleycorn
competent and pleasant but thoroughly unremarkable
This album didn't do a whole lot for me. There were some interesting musical bits, but as a whole it didn't really catch me. Didn't care for "John Barleycorn", personally. So yeah, lets get him! Highlights: "Stranger To Himself" and "Every Mother's Son." Really liked these two. The rest of the album was pretty standard. 3/5 for me.
Genoten met een hoofdletter G ! Heerlijk voor in de bus en al die achtergrond instrumenten die je hoort <3 heerlijk.
Track 2 van cd 2 geeft me echt de vibes van een sumaru in oud japan die in zijn eentje reist door het land Voor de rest vind ik het erg leuk, daarentegen geef ik het een 3/5 puur om mijn normering beetje goed te houden, en ik denk er leukere dingen zijn.
ok, rockig. bisschen zu chillig. kann man bestimmt gut beim kochen hören.
nice but not particularly memorable 3.5/5
Everything I could want from an album.
Great album. Big Steve Winwood fan right here. Winwood is one of the few artists who merit multiple entries on this list. His work with Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, Blind Faith, and solo is consistently top-notch. Add in his session work with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Lou Reed he could be on this list more than anyone.
I'm going to copy part of my Steve Winwood review here. "I can't believe I don't hate this. It's just so pleasant and inoffensive"
Loved the mix of musical sounds from rock to bordering on funk in a few songs.
Fun! I loved how it felt like a jam session at times!
First time listening to Traffic and this is a great album. It’s really carried by Empty Pages and Glad imo but the other tracks aren’t slouches. The jazz-rock of the entire album was brilliant.
Dull set of 70s rock songs. Folkish. Instrumental jams. Jazz touches here and there. Flutes and sax. But overall very boring. Only liked the track Every Mother's Son, a cool road trip song.
Some kind of folk-rock fusion. Not bad.
Never heard of this, was pretty cool and vibey.
Lead singer has good voice !
Good fun little album, 7/10
What a strange assortment of genres. It didn’t all work, but on the whole it was pretty solid, and I appreciated the variety. Freedom Rider, John Barleycorn, Every Mother’s Son
Every song was good
nothing really fancy. is good for work tho. 2.5/5
I've built a backlog of albums, and this is simply one to tick off my list because it's relatively short to get through. I wasn't expecting much from this. Album cover, name and name of artist didn't appeal to me, nor did I recognise them. Hence i left this one for a while. I was expecting some kind of rock (folky rock), but certainly not jazz, so that was interesting. "Glad" was fine as an instrumental jazz piece but nothing special. "Freedom Rider" - nice flute. Disappointed to hear the vocals, I was hoping for a vocal-free album. Vocals aren't great. Borderline screechy. Song gets boring fast, too long at 5 minutes. "empty pages" - only into the third track and I want it to end. Boring and dull. Stranger to himself - Dull, dull, dull! John Barleycorn - the combination of acoustic and flute is giving nick drake vibes. But much worse than Drake. It is painful listening to this. You know what, I gave this a fair chance. But I don't like this genre of music at all. It is irritatingly bad. The epitome of dull. I'm frustrated enough to slam down the 1 star button. Enjoy, Traffic.
Too much of this album is dull jazz-rock noodling. I quite liked John Barleycorn though.
Favorite Track: John Barleycorn
My original review: “Groovy 70s Rock. Not really into it much, but I liked a few tracks and they were usually less jazzy. Sometimes the flute was a little psychadelic which I wasn’t keen on. Generally speaking it’s decent, but not particularly for me. - 2” My new review: Interesting 70s, Jazz-rock vibe. I seemed to resonate better with it this time, and seemed to get into it particularly towards the end.
Eeeeeh. This was okay. Extremely okay.
nice album but nothing incredible 5,5/10 fav song : John Barleycorn (Must Die)
It was fine but, for me, nothing that stood out.
Jazzy rock. There were some parts that stood out, like the way the piano took a cool dark turn at the 4:52 mark in Glad. I appreciate the flute throughout. It was easy listening that didn't demand much. Favorite song was the traditional: John Barleycorn. The cyclical sacrifice of barley for alcohol. Of course. 3.5 rounded up.
Musical, whimsical, and a nice way to start the day. Not as great as some of the other music from this era, but I definitely enjoyed this.
Solid classic rock.
4/10. Bit to like folk/ballads for my liking yk🤝🏽
Thoughts before listening: An often overlooked jazz rock band that put out great material in the 70s. These guys were a huge influence to the jam bands I'd come to love, with many of them covering their songs. Review: This album is full of lengthy songs that are basically instrumental jam sessions with the occasional vocal thrown in. It's a cool sound that is very jazzy, but it's not prog rock. While there are guitar and keyboard solos on this album, there are also non-traditional rock instruments like flute and horns. Very unique sound that I am enjoying quite a bit. 4-stars
Good background music, kind of country but old country.
Don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. Opened my eyes to a completely new band and given me a new found appreciation for the use of the flute in rock music.
Liked the album, I got notes of renaissance fair in a couple of tracks, the 70s were a good time to listen to music that is a subtle to medieval Europe.
It was decent 70's rock, but the track John Barleycorn itself was dope so I'll bump it up a star.
Nah, boring
No idea on this really. I tried to listen but it was so all over the place that i couldnt get any read. So dated it hurts
Spencer Davis' band (before his solo career). Good music, but his high voice sounds strained. Glad is an instrumental track. Title track is good.
There’s a richness to this record that feels utterly wasted on a heathen like me. Songs – while each uniquely compelling, presumably – bounce off me like water off a competition-banned Speedo. At times my toe taps, at others I say “oh this must be where Chris De Burgh got ‘Spaceman’ from.” And as the album finishes a second play through, I realise that all I really have to say is that, above all else, this was the moment I broadened my knowledge of Steve Winwood beyond the It’s Always Sunny reference. (“That’s a gift for you, bumblebee…”.)
I can get behind this. My style of folky 70s rock.
Puike bluesfolkrock van rond 1970, een beetje hetzelfde genre dat Eric Clapton en de zijnen destijds aan het maken waren. Maar dan zonder Eric Clapton. En dan mis je nét datgene wat zo'n gedegen plaat naar het allerhoogste niveau tilt. Prima om een paar keer te draaien, en dan weer door te gaan met de rest van je leven.
Help, ik word dus ingehaald door een luistermaatje. Ik moet aan de bak! Maar goed dat we gaan klussen. En dit is een heel mooi plaatje daarbij. Daar moet ik wel achter komen, want de titel suggereert meuk. Tot mijn verbazing begint het album vrij luchtig en jazzy. Het wordt gevolgd door een mengeling van overgebleven jaren '60 klanken en oudere muziekgenres. Je hoort wat getokkel en wat soul. De titeltrack blijkt de klapper. Er wordt nu gekozen voor een folk-klank, waarmee er een voorloper van Stairway to Heaven lijkt te zijn ontstaan. Dit nummer tilt het album (net) naar de laatste ster!
Ik ken Traffic al wel, maar dit album dacht ik niks van te kennen. De openingsklanken komen me gelukkig al wel gelijk bekend voor. Al zal dit geen hit geweest zijn, het is wel een fijne uptempo jazzy rock. Uit de tijd van Cream en Clapton, die samen met Winwood daarna even Blind Faith gevormd hebben. Qua instrumenten halen ze alles uit de kast wat ze uit de jaren 60 in de kast hadden staan: piano's, orgels, fluiten, tamboerijnen, de hele mikmak komt voorbij. En toch stoort het me niet. Nu we net Genesis met Peter Gabriel hebben gehoord afgelopen weken, doen sommige nummers me er ook wel aan denken. Ik vermoed dat Peter Gabriel toch ook wel naar Traffic geluisterd moet hebben. Empty Pages had zo op een Genesis album gekund. Ik kan deze muziek zeer goed hebben. Het is soms experimenteel, maar niet teveel, ze houden het tempo en de flow er goed in, zodat je continu met je voet mee blijft tikken. 4 sterretjes.
Better than the last two on this list I listened too. Good melody throughout but nothing here worth revisiting
Decent album. Not terrible, not brilliant.
The band sure had some talented members, but the tracks on John Barleycorn Must Die are often too improvisational for my tastes - I like the band more when they are tightly structured than when they create a Traffic jam. Heh.
The following is a really niche review meant for a maximum of 5 people, I think. I apologize in advance. John Barleycorn is for British music scene what Knud Lavard is for the Danish. He must have been quite the terrible person to deserve a faith as brutal as death by jam band.
Steve Winwood is cool. Album is ite.
Not my sort of thing. Very clearly a 70's blues/folk/rock record, I can see why a 'jam band' sounding album has been put on the list, but I doubt I'd add it to my personal countdown.
Traffic was a bit hit or miss for me, but this was a hit....
Went in blind. Glad hits immediately with jazzy prog rock sounds and turns into a beautiful piano piece. Freedom Rider introduces vocals before a lengthy instrumental break (and there are a few: flutes are prominent, but sax and organ/keyboards also contribute to the whole). Empty Pages has a chorus Rush would might have been happy with a decade later, and a breezy piano and bass section. Then bluesy guitar on Stranger To Himself, and the title track is an acoustic ballad, with backing vocals and the ever present flute. Every Mother's Son keeps the same slower tempo but is heavier, with deep droning bass throughout. I didn't like the second half as much, but overall this sounds very good. Punchy bass, good stereo mix and space for all the different instruments.
empty pages is mindblowingly great
Fair
Good band from the 70’s. A good album. With good songs. Steve Windwood, went on to have a great career.
Virkar sem extended jam session við fyrstu hlustun, og seinni diskurinn í delúx útgáfunni bætti litlu við, en svo síast hún inn við aðra og þriðju og fjórðu o.s.frv. - Þið þekkið þetta, solid fjarki.
I don't have much to say about the actual album, it is fine and they are good musicians but nothing really gripped me. However, I want to talk about how 30-40 minutes is the perfect album runtime. It really makes you think about what you want to include on your album, and it isn't a huge commitment to the listener. It is the perfect album to throw on for a car ride. I can throw on an album like Doolittle or In Rainbows anytime because they are jam packed with hits and they don't overstay there welcome at all. Once an album hits 55 minutes or more, it really makes me consider if I want to listen to it or not. For example the New Sound by Geordie Greep was one of my favorite albums of 2024 but idk an hour and 2 minutes just feels a little bloated, and I often end up throwing on Schlagenheim over it because it is a nice crisp 43 minutes. I also don't want this ramble to come off as I am impatient, Mellon Collie is one of my all-time favorite albums (2 hrs.) I also just listened to Soundtrack for the Blind (2 1/2 hrs.) the other day for the first time and enjoyed it. I just want to express my love for sub 45 minute albums. Anyways, this album made fine background music as I ranted about album lengths. High 3.
Scrapes a 3 because of the last two tracks but generally this is a charisma free zone
Ganz okay aber nüd woni onbedengt weder wett lose. Stecht halt ned use on hed chump igängigi melodie